Violence Against Men And Women - 1424 Words

Often times, transgender men and women are targets for harassment online and face to face. People in the transgender community are not widely accepted by society and are often treated as though their rights as humans have been stripped from them; but their voices are growing louder and their pool of allies is growing larger which is causing the world to start to be more accepting. This fight for justice for the trans* community sprouts from violence against men and women that refuse to be someone who they are not. An article written by Helen Wolkowicz says, â€Å"dismembered, burned, stabbed - these are some of the ways that trans and gender-nonconforming people have been murdered† and continues on to tell a few stories of those who have†¦show more content†¦Wolkowicz interviews Gabrielle Bouchard, a peer support and trans advocacy coordinator at the Centre for Gender Advocacy in Montreal who shares that When you re visibly trans, you never just go to the grocery store, you never just go to school, you never just go to the theatre. You go facing the potential for snarky comments, discrimination or violence. You prepare your survival backpack every day, and this is the remark that defines trans* lives. Those who are anti-trans believe they have a say whether a human lives comfortably or not. The story that has been spreading like wildfire over social media is that of Leelah Alcorn. On December 28, 2014, the 17 year old trans* female committed suicide, leaving behind her stubborn and religious parents and an online suicide note. Leelah wanted nothing more than to be comfortable with herself, but her parents would not allow that. The way that her parents treated her was inhumane and unfair. They separated her from the world, talked to her in a derogatory tone, and verbally and mentally abused her. In her note, Leelah writes,â€Å"The only way I will rest in peace is if one day transgender people aren’t treated the way I was, they’re treated like humans, with valid feelings and human rights† (Doyle), where she basically states that the reason for her suicide was her rights and emotions being disregarded. Many trans* people experience discrimination first at home. Leelah